Free association

What are the first 3 adjectives that come to your mind in reference to the Reagan funeral?

How long has it been since you used one of those adjectives to describe a ceremony in a Catholic church?

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Reverent, solemn, prayerful.
I use such words to describe how I offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Reason for rules is reverence. Reagan was just a man & a great president; so how much more should we show for the Eucharist. We need to focus on our disposition before, during & after Mass. Dressing our best because we love Jesus; praying and reading Scripture before Mass begins; showing as much reverence as we can during Mass in our words/postures; prayer after receiving the Holy Eucharist.

Posted by: -
Jun. 16, 2004 9:55 PM ET USA

After all the pomp and ceremony (beautifully done) the substance of the spoken word was not much different from Latin rite funerals or memorial Masses - the deceased was canonized before he was put in the ground. At the last funeral Mass I attended, the grieving family was assured that the dead man was with his dog in Heaven.

Posted by: -
Jun. 15, 2004 11:18 PM ET USA

Unfortunately I could only listen to the service, but I must note that the Irish tenor DID sing Ave Maria. It was incredibly beautiful to listen to.

Posted by: Abraham Tolemahcs -
Jun. 15, 2004 9:31 AM ET USA

I'm sure it has not escaped everyone that the attire at Trid. Rite Masses is significantly more appropriate than at the majority of the N.O masses. The liturgical abuses foisted upon the laity by derelict clergy and their vacuous liturgical committees is by design destroying the faith in this country. Virtually the only safe place to attend a valid mass without risk of scandalizing your children or yourself is the Trid. Rite if you're blessed enough to have one available to you.

Posted by: -
Jun. 15, 2004 8:50 AM ET USA

Retired, I fill in at parishes and often have to bite my tongue because I have been put in my place. when I complained. I bit real hard last Sunday when the teen-age girls as Eucharistic ministers distributed Communion with bare mid-riffs and low-cut jeans. My tongue still hurts.

Posted by: -
Jun. 15, 2004 12:42 AM ET USA

touching graceful dignified. It doesn't touch the Mass at St. John Cantius in Chicago every Sunday at 12:30. Every spring father reminds parishoners about respectful dress. get some guts father E and do the same. He posts signs at the doors and doesn't fail to remind people when nesassary.

Posted by: -
Jun. 14, 2004 11:31 PM ET USA

Does lack of proper attire at Catholic liturgies come from lack of faith (no longer believe Real Presence), lack of reverence (never taught virtue of Religion), or simple lack of upbringing (culturally deprived) ? Do some still have to demonstrate to unbelievers that the Church has no control over them, that their religion is something they barely tolerate, put up with, show contempt for, that they now blend in so well with pagans that they wish to be indistinguishable from them ? Kerry-ism ?

Posted by: -
Jun. 14, 2004 4:57 PM ET USA

Father E - the members of the community come to Mass now in order to proclaim their identity as a community of believers. They don't primarily come to worship God. They don't come to make reparation and the majority of them no longer believe in the Real Presence. If they believed as Catholics and worshipped as Catholics at Mass they would dress like Catholics should at Mass.

Posted by: -
Jun. 14, 2004 12:43 PM ET USA

I have a simple solution for Father E. Simply tell the Lector to get off the altar. Word will spread like, well, simply like lightning. Simple.

Posted by: -
Jun. 14, 2004 7:04 AM ET USA

Someone mention ties in Church. I had the same observation. I had a first Communion Mass a few weeks ago and the lector wore short-shorts and flip-flops. Our parish finance council always dress very nice to our lunch meetings (expensive ties and suits), but they never dress that way at Mass. Why do Catholics not care about how they dress to Church? My Southern Baptist relatives always dress very nice to Church. Does anyone have any ideas for me? No wonder parishes in Massachuset are closing.

Posted by: frjimc -
Jun. 13, 2004 11:49 AM ET USA

Loved Reagan as president; dignified funeral, but ghastly all the same.
The presumption of heaven was horrifying to this Catholic, even worse than Patti's 'goldfish in heaven' remembrance.
Nancy's fondness for him, and her sacrificial love during his later years, spoke more eloquently than the myriad eulogies. "Woe to you when all speak well about you," Jesus said. The focus on the deceased -- all too present in Catholic funerals -- removes the righteous focus on Christ's salvific act.

Posted by: Pseudodionysius -
Jun. 13, 2004 11:32 AM ET USA

I was very disappointed in the lack of clown attire in the cathedral. That disenfranchised many from California.

Posted by: -
Jun. 12, 2004 9:34 PM ET USA

Dignified..reverent..faithful.

Posted by: -
Jun. 12, 2004 7:40 PM ET USA

Classy. Graceful. Humbly Majestic. Fortunately, I have a readily available Tridentine Mass so I use these frequently. I use different adjectives when we go to my wife's NO parish for Mass.
As an aside, since I will likely be alive for the Clinton funeral, I just pray that Maya Angelou and the members of Fleetwood Mac are gone before then.

Posted by: Gil125 -
Jun. 12, 2004 7:07 PM ET USA

Now, THAT'S nasty!
Absolutely on the mark, but nasty.
Actually, I can remember several equally reverent and solemn occasions in the Catholic Church. An Easter vigil mass at the Cathedral in Denver comes to mind. It must have been 1957 or maybe 1958, when I lived there. About five or six years after I converted to Catholicism. And there were others---all going back about that long.

Posted by: -
Jun. 12, 2004 6:43 PM ET USA

After reading a pre-schedule that Irish tenor would sing Ave Maria then hearing only Amazing Grace and No mention of Jesus Christ at capitol remembrance; (1) disappointing.
If in fact this pompous display was written by Ronald Reagan; (2) egomanical.
Given, Reagan solidified the republican court's (Supreme) ability legitimizing wholesale murder of babies; (3) false worship of wickedness.
No incidental disappointments at human frailties at Holy Mass compares with that of Reagan worship

Posted by: -
Jun. 12, 2004 3:15 PM ET USA

Inspiring, reverent, magnificent.
Not as awesome as the Easter Vigil Mass at Clear Creek Monastery near Tulsa where "traditional" Benedictine monks gave glory to God in the way of our fathers in a converted horse barn chapel.

Posted by: -
Jun. 12, 2004 12:57 PM ET USA

Three adjectives: Majestic, dignified, beautiful.
I'm fortunate in that I sing at a parish that has dignified liturgy and music.
Notice that the only clergy glad-handing during the processional in the National Cathedral were the two Cardinals present.

Posted by: kevin -
Jun. 12, 2004 11:22 AM ET USA

answer to question one:
reverent, solemn, awesome
answer to question two:
whenever I see the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on EWTN

Posted by: -
Jun. 12, 2004 10:50 AM ET USA

Sorry if my comments are misdirected, but the last time I saw so many ties in church was at a Mormon Sunday service. As a historical matter, has mass always posed the difficult choice between jeans, shorts, or sweats?